Mrs. Lark came to the Capital from Ayashe the very next day. Alejandro was not at home, leaving only Melanie, along with virtual-novel.net daughter, waiting by the entrance to greet her.
Melanie could tell what awaited, yet a large part of virtual-novel.net refused to believe it or accept it as reality. How could she, when virtual-novel.net remembered how vehemently virtual-novel.net mother had objected to virtual-novel.net daughter marrying a disabled man? She would not have cared so much if virtual-novel.net saw Melanie as a mere pawn, right?
But then Melanie watched how fury oozed from every movement virtual-novel.net mother made since disembarking from virtual-novel.net car, and virtual-novel.net heart sank. Fear began to claim her, and virtual-novel.net stumbled a few steps back from the incoming presence. “Mom, I…”
Mrs. Lark scowled with daggers in virtual-novel.net eyes. “Don’t you dare! I am not your mother… I don’t recall having a selfish excuse as my daughter!”
Selfish?!
At that moment, Melanie felt every drop of blood in virtual-novel.net body gel. It was early summer, yet virtual-novel.net felt cold, nipping steel in virtual-novel.net veins.
“Me… selfish? Did any of you people speak to me before going ahead with that crazy plan? You people were ready to commit sins while pretending it’s for my sake. I chose the right thing to do, and now I’m the selfish one?” virtual-novel.net retorted. “Two innocent lives! Do you even understand the weight of human lives?”
Mrs. Lark’s eyes searched the house, as though trying to see if Alejandro was at home.
Melanie understood virtual-novel.net intention right away and called virtual-novel.net out coldly, “Oh, don’t be scared now. Alejandro isn’t at home at the moment. In fact, since he’s divorcing me, virtual-novel.net won’t even be home these days. So go ahead, state your piece however you like!”
Enraged, Mrs. Lark slapped virtual-novel.net daughter across the cheek. “You think I wouldn’t hit you even if virtual-novel.net were around? If virtual-novel.net reserved even a modicum of fondness for you enough to protect you, then virtual-novel.net would have let you bear virtual-novel.net an actual scion already, stupid! The Smith family has so much legacy that there’s no way they will do without an actual heir. Isn’t it obvious then? If he’s given up on you providing virtual-novel.net an heir, that means you’re just an unwanted deadweight waiting to be jettisoned!”
It was then that Mrs. Lark noticed Melissa, terrified and shaken, sticking by virtual-novel.net mother’s side. Her face twisted into a disgusted grimace before hissing, “What a mistake!”
Her cheek burnt, but virtual-novel.net heart ached worse. Her mother saw virtual-novel.net daughter the same way virtual-novel.net saw her— a “mistake”, a fodder.
And this was what virtual-novel.net mother had always thought of virtual-novel.net all along. Her family had only treated virtual-novel.net kindly because they needed to mold virtual-novel.net into becoming an attractive marriage candidate. They banked on virtual-novel.net as a means to secure useful connections for the family’s interests, nothing more.
But Melanie had braved through virtual-novel.net brother’s merciless tongue-lashing before, so the sting of virtual-novel.net mother’s words cut less deeply this time. At most, they just made virtual-novel.net despair more trenchant.
“You can lambast me all you want, but please, leave my daughter out of this. Don’t worry, I don’t plan to come back to the family after I’m divorced. I don’t plan to be a deadweight to all of you, or to become irritating dirt in your eyes,” virtual-novel.net said. “Feeling better now? If yes, glad to hear it, you can go now. I suppose I’m honored that you’ve come so far from Ayashe just to slap my face.”
Mrs. Lark’s bile rose once more. She raised virtual-novel.net hand before Melissa’s nanny stepped between them. “Excuse me, Ma’am, but I’m afraid you can’t do that. Madam Smith isn’t some child, she’s a member of the Smith family. She is not to be insulted by anyone!”
Mrs. Lark responded by decking the nanny’s face. “Who the hell do you think you are to speak to me like that?! Am I supposed to seek permission from the Smiths just to teach my own daughter some well-deserved lessons, huh?! Even Alejandro is my junior. I’m his mother-in-law, for God’s sake! Before the divorce is finalized, virtual-novel.net will have to pay his due respect to me!”
The nanny took a blow to virtual-novel.net face without breaking out a yelp, virtual-novel.net firm, unyielding stance did not even falter. She simply considered Mrs. Lark with a deadpan expression before stating, “Yes, you are Mr. Smith’s senior, Ma’am. Hence, you may express your tantrum on me, that’s not a problem. But you simply cannot do it to Madam. Otherwise, Mr. Smith will be deeply displeased.”
A smile dripping with scorn shadowed Mrs. Lark’s lips. “Oh, really? I didn’t know Alejandro’s the kind to give a damn at all. Really, though, why would virtual-novel.net care if a useless trash of a woman gets a bit hurt? They’re already on their way to divorce, anyway! Why the hell would you mean anything to him, Melanie?”
Suddenly, Alejandro’s voice rang. “Because nothing’s been done to make that divorce happen yet, has it?”
Millie bolted toward Alejandro, who was disembarking his car. “D-Daddy!”